ALBERT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 297, 22 December 1897, Page 2

ALBERT.

The half-yearly meeting lapsed for want of a quorum. The receipts totalled £883 15s 3d, of which £407 3s was expended on wages and £24 7s 6d on mine requisites. The credit balance was set down at £269 19s lid. OWHAROA. The annual meeting of shareholders in tins company was held to - day in Mr S. H. Matthew's office, at which Mr N. A. Nathan presided. The meeting was called for the purpose of voluntarily winding - up this Company, the property having been sold to the Owharoa Syndicate. This was agreed to, and the balance-sheet adopted, showing receipts for the past 12 months £3,747 7s 6d and a credit balance of £25 6s Id. CARDIGAN G.M. COMPANY. At an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders in the Cardigan Gohhnining Company at Mr R. McDonald Scott's office yesterday afternoon, it was decided that the resolution previously passed to the effect that the Company be wound up voluntarily be confirmed. Mr R. McDonald Scott was appointed liquidator at a fee of £25. It was stated that the credit balance was about £187, which would enable a dividend of about 5-16ths of a penny per share to be paid to shareholders. KOMATA TRIUMPH. The annual meeting of shareholders in this Company was held to day in Mr W. H. Churton's office, when : Mr N. A. Nathan presided. The statement of accounts showed receipts £'148 16s fid, and the expenditure left a credit balance of £274 14s Id. The directors' report stated that in view of recent discoveries in the mine, the directors considered work should be continued after the holidays. The manager reported having discovered a promising looking run of quartz boulders of immense size near the south-western boundary, and was now driving to cut the reef that shed them at a point 1,500 feet from any previous workings. In a second report the manager stated he had also discovered a solid reef about 18 inches wide, containing good mineral. The reports were adopted. TELLURIDES OF GOLD. A most interesting collection of specimens of ore carrying gold, both free and in the form of tellurides, may be seen by persons interested in mining, at the Union Bank of Australia. These samples were obtained by the manager of the Vanch of this Bank at Kalgoorlie (W.A.), who forwarded them over to New Zealand for the information of the mining community. The box of samples was duly received by Mr Charles A. Gilber, the manager of the Auckland branch, and the specimens of tellurides are now open for inspection, in order that persons interested in mining may know what class of ore to look for, because as tellurides are to a great extent a new discovery it is just: possible that like the miners of Western i Australia onr prospectors may have in ignorance passed by ore bearing gold in this peculiar form. Through the courtesy of the manager a representative of the "Auckland Star" was enabled yesterday to inspect the tellurides. They appear identical to the same class of ore that has been treated with such good results at Cripple Creek in America, and more recently at Charters Towers. Some of the specimens consist of oxidised ore taken from different mines, and these afford an idea of the "formation" carrying the gold before it reaches the sulphides. The telluride ores shown are from the Lake View Consols and Great Boulder mines, and there are also two pieces of rock (Diabese) taken from the lvanhoe mine in the immediate vicinity of the lode at a depth of 200 and 300 feet. The sample from nearest the surface evidently bordered' oxidised ore, and that from the lower level sulphide ore. In one specimen a portion carries tellurides of gold, while another part by its faint yellow tinge shows that the tellurium is in process of decomposition. One sample, taken from a depth of SO feet, is apparently just brown oxidised stone such as might be met with near the surface at Cororaandel and other parts of the Hauraki Peninsula. The lodes or formations in which tellurides have been found at a lower depth are Talcose Schist, with veins of quartz open and carrying gold either coarse, fine, or in the loaf form as frequently seen at Tapu. Before the sulphides arc reached the country becomes harder, and about the line of oxidisation carries gold both free and in telluride form. One of the samples on view illustrates this. The course of these lodes has generally been thrown about by Diorite bars, and the main lodes give ample froof of living in the hard Diabese rock, n the Kalgoorlie district the indications of the proximity of tellurides are that the oxidised ore carries gold in leaf form between the cleavages, or gold finely psppered over the surface. The occurrence of calcite is also an indication not to be overlooked. The value oi tellurides of gold is shown by the fact that at the Lake View Consols mine it is at times'worth as much as 14oz in bulk. In an article that appeared in the "Financial News" dealing with the Cripple Creek field, the writer mentions that for more than twenty ?'cars after gold in limited quantities was ound the place suffered owing to the condemnation of ignorant critics, and the writer adds, "as in the case of New Zealand in particular, where some of the most valuable mines now paying high dividends to their shareholders were originally condemned as worthless." The fact is also mentioned that at Cripple Creek—-as in some parts of New Zealand—the ores contain both gold and silver. As to the treatment of telluride ores, it is interesting to note that the State Geologist of Colorado, Mr T. A. Rickard, says: "Tellurides of gold and silver are soluble in cyanide solution, therefore the cyanide process is applicable and has, in fact, been applied with success to the Colorado ores. Dry crushing by rolls should precede leaching. Another method is also practicable. By roasting the ore you get rid of tellurium much as nature gets rid of it in the outcrop, and you then have material amenable to chlorination or bromination."